Honda Cb200

HONDA CB200

Cycle World Road Test

It Won’t Get You There In A Hurry, But At 73 mpg, Who Cares?

WHEN HONDA motorcycles made their debut on the American scene, they were labeled “sissy bikes” by the dyed-in-the-wool bikers who wrestled with their throbbing, oil-dripping mens machines.

What happened after that is now history; everyone knows of the Honda success. This one company played the starring role in a memorable little drama whose final act featured the transformation of the black-leather-jacket, Lucky-Strikes-in-the-tight-T-shirt-sleeve stereotype of motorcycling into one of a socially-acceptable means of transportation and recreation. The bottles and chains were soon replaced with racks to carry books and attache cases, or the equipment needed for a tranquil trail ride.

At the start of Honda’s conquest, no other manufacturer had the foresight to produce a small, lightweight, easily-handled machine on which the novice might learn. Because of this, the motorcycle industry was more or less stagnant, at least in relation to today’s growth standards. It took the imagination of a single Japanese company to change the entire biking picture.

Beginning with the first foo foo bike that Honda manufactured—the Cl00—the company began to accumulate both experience and confidence. Soon Hondas became the in thing, and those “non-motorcycle” motorcycles began selling like Gatorade at a motocross. At that time no one had a problem with demand outweighing supply; there were always enough Honda 50s to go around.

And when people, common everyday people, outgrew their little putt-putts, they had a choice of several larger and different Hondas to move up to. Today Honda’s model line allows a rider the choice of 32 different motorcycles. Not surprisingly, in view of the present petroleum situation, the retail motorcycle market is showing signs of a full-circle swing.

By no means do we mean to imply that the 50s are due for a full-scale resurrection. That just won’t happen again. What we do see looming on the horizon is a more sophisticated rider who is more concerned with economy than horsepower. For that reason, the medium displacement bikes are coming into their own, and bringing with them none other than Honda’s CB200.

The CB is an offshoot, or rather big brother, of the fairly popular 175 series. The 175s are bored out only 3.5mm to bring the capacity up to 200cc. The reason for this is rather obvious. The type of people who bought 175s wanted some additional performance without having to lay out too much cash. They also wanted a bike that could be handled without exerting too much effort.

And it didn’t take a hard blow on the head to get Honda’s attention. They soon realized that they could produce a bike that would be more reliable and have the little extra performance desired, without having any extra bulk or weight.

Though we hate to quote prices in a time when they change more often than most people change their socks, the 200 currently sells for $915, which is a whopping $200 more than last year’s 175. The most noticeable improvement is in appearance.

The CB’s tank has a less-rounded look than is usual. This approach is rather bold and tends to set the 200 apart from other bikes its size. At first glance the top of the tank is reminiscent of a vinyl top on a car. Upon closer inspection, we find that Honda has fitted a strip of rubber down the length of the tank. It is held in place by two chrome strips. This, presumably, is to cover the tank seams.

A flip top cap, just like those on the bigger bikes, is fitted. When it’s closed, gasoline does not seep by the seal. As can be expected, the remainder of the bike is finished in the usual immaculate Honda fashion.

The 200 is a comfortable bike despite its size. Both the around-town rider and the more daring soul, who sometimes ventures beyond the city limit sign, will find the three contact points satisfactory—particularly the saddle. It is relatively wide and offers good support to most size posteriors. It is about as long as practical for a lightweight bike, and in this case just long enough to carry rider and passenger in a slightly crowdeJj manner. ™

In an effort to dampen annoying vibration, the handlebars are rubber-mounted. Unlike some that we’ve seen done this way, the bars are not loose enough to cause any problems when braking. The folding footpegs are rubber-covered and rubber-mounted to the frame in the interest of reduce^^ vibration.

The instrument layout on the CB is one that is indigenous to most bikes these days. All controls, with the exception of the kill switch and headlight dimmer switch, are within easy reach. These two are located on the throttle grip side of the bars. The beam control can be operated only by involuntarily changing the throttle control setting as the thumb reaches for the switch.

In an effort to add the sporty touch to the 200, both a tach and speedo have been fitted. Thanks to the size and coloring, both of these dials are easy to read. In the tach are the high beam and neutral indicator lights. A resettable trip meter is included in the speedo. The ignition switch is in the standard Honda position.

The CB’s starting procedure is an easy one. After turning on the gas, ignition switch and choke, stab the starter button and slowly open the throttle. The engine will falter to life. The 200 is probably more cold-blooded than most other Hondas. A few minutes of warm-up are required before the -engine will idle without the aid of a helping hand on the throttle.

At an idle, there is a slight amount of cam chain noise. At anything above an idle, this sound is lost in the wind; at least until the engine revs to 9000.

The engine is a conventional sohc twin-cylinder four-stroke. The crank is of a 360-degree configuration. This gives the CB a deep exhaust note and an extraordinary amount of torque. Actual power to the ground is very tractable, which makes this bike a good choice for inexperienced riders, or those who want simple around-town transportation.

The only engine change from the 175 is the 3.5mm-larger bore, and the resulting size increase in the pistons and rings. The head, lower end and transmission are identical to those on last year’s 175.

The gearbox is typical Honda; each and every shift is accomplished with the minimum of effort. Changing up or down was done with the slightest bit of lever travel.

We found the gear ratios to be well-suited to the bike’s intended use. First gear was low enough to get any reasonable load moving from a stop, while the little 200cc power plant was good for slightly more than 75 mph in top gear.

A common wet, multi-plate clutch is used to disengage and engage the power half of the engine from the five-speed transmission. The clutch proved that it could withstand everything that we could dish out, as it remained intact after repeated hard starts at the drag strip.

Although the CB is a light bike, it will roll down the highway at a pretty good clip. This is where a stopping problem usually arises, but not on the CB. The CB utilizes a floating mechanical disc brake at the front wheel; a gadget far newer in practice than it is in design.

The advantages of the hydraulic disc are obvious to most people: (1) In some cases discs help cut down on weight, (2) a tremendous amount of force can be exerted on the disc with very little effort at the lever, due to the hydraulic advantage, and (3) repeated high-speed stops have little effect on the efficiency of the stop. But then how many times have you had to make repeated stops from a high rate of speed? Furthermore, discs actually need some warming up before they reach their maximum efficiency.

At any rate, Honda has done away with all of the hydraulic paraphernalia and fitted a very simple and inexpensive mechanical disc. This in itself results in a weight reduction.

Fitted to the rear of the CB is a conventional single leading shoe brake. As we expected, its stop was not sensitive and it required little pressure to operate. The performance of this brake, hot or cold, was satisfactory.

HONDA CB200

$915

The rib tire on the front and the universal pattern tread on the rear of the CB held their own during our test. We had the opportunity (some opportunity!) to travel over a canyon road during one of this area’s few-and-far-between rainstorms. While the road was slicker than a used car salesman, the combination of smooth power pulses and the satisfactory traction characteristics of the tires, enabled us to negotiate it unscathed.

Though the tires do work well, if it were up to us, a slightly larger tire (perhaps a 3.00), would be fitted to the rear. This would tend to provide a more stable feel under all circumstances.

Other positive features of the CB are the frame and suspension components. To give this bike the agility and quick steering that it needs, Honda built a frame with a head angle of 26 degrees. Trail measures out to 3.5 inches. This, coupled with the light weight, allows the CB to be flung around effortlessly in slow traffic and to be steered precisely at higher speeds.

The semi double cradle frame was plenty strong enough to handle any of the paces that we put the bike through. At no time did it suffer the heartbreak of frame flex.

When pushing hard through a corner a lack of rebound damping was very evident. This caused the bike to pogo for some distance. This was never critical, however. As far as we’re concerned, the light spring rate and easy ride more than make up for the damping deficiency. Unlike most bikes, the 200 is fitted with springs that don’t beat your kidneys silly after a block or two of riding.

For the average rider of 150 pounds or so, the softest of the springs’ five-way adjusting positions will probably be satisfactory for cruising. A stiffer position is necessary if you’re really going to put the CB to the test.

The rubber gaiters used to cover the front fork tubes are a good idea. They rate an A+ when it comes to protecting the seals from damage-inducing road grime. For a road machine, especially one this size, these gaiters may or may not be necessary, but they do give the CB a look all its own, as most of the other lightweights use a small rubber dust cover.

As on the rear, front end damping is just minimal, and the spring rate is well-matched to the 150 to 175-pound rider. Under the heaviest braking, these units were bottomed out. But taking everything into consideration, both of the suspension components did an admirable job of removing most of the road shock from the ride.

The CB does rate at least one demerit, however. On the road, at almost any engine speed, we felt some vibration at all of the contact points. While the annoying tingle wasn’t enough to cause numbness in any of the effected areas, it did make for fatigue in the feet after a long distance at high rpm.

But for the person looking for a small, lightweight and economical bike, the CB200 will fill the bill. It has all of these advantages, plus it is reliable. Those of you who are concerned with the cost of gasoline and have decided to find an alternative to just another one of many rip-offs, will be duly impressed by the Honda’s mpg figure. And while the CB won’t get you anywhere in a hurry, rest assured that it will get you there and back. After all, 55 mph isn’t exactly flying anyway.g]